Brown Mourns the Loss of Joe Paterno

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Brown University mourns the
loss of legendary football coach and Brown Hall of Fame football
player Joe Paterno '50, who passed away Sunday
morning in State College, Pa.

"This a sad day for the Brown University community and the Brown
Football Program," said Brown head football coach Phil
Estes. "My heart felt thoughts and prayers go out to
the Paterno Family."

"Joe Paterno was a great mentor for all of college football. I
have considered him my role model for my career here at Brown,"
added Estes. "I had several opportunities to talk with Joe about
football and Brown University, and will cherish those memories.
Coach Paterno has been an important part of our football tradition
and we will continue to celebrate his storied career and life."

Paterno, Brown Class of 1950, impacted Brown University
long before he began his coaching career for the Nittany Lions. A
standout quarterback and defensive back for the Bears, Paterno
completed his career on College Hill as one of the greatest in
Brown football history, and went on Penn State to become a
nationally renowned coach, educator, leader, philanthropist and
humanitarian.

Under the tutelage of head coach
Rip Engle, Paterno blossomed into the heady
quarterback of the Bears football team that went 8-1 and was an
Eastern powerhouse in 1949.

Legendary sportswriter Stanly
Woodward once described Paterno as a quarterback, "who
can't run, can't pass – just thinks and wins."

In addition to his role in the rushing
and passing offenses, Paterno also returned punts and kickoffs,
posting career averages of 8.8 and 20.1 yards, respectively. He had
a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown against Holy Cross in 1949. A
heady defensive back, Paterno still holds the all-time Brown career
interception record (14).

Paterno is also a member of the Brown
Athletics Hall of Fame and was named to Brown's 125th Anniversary
All-Time team at defensive back.

After his senior football season,
Paterno took an offer from Engle to work on a part-time basis with
the Brown quarterbacks while awaiting graduation. Shortly after,
Engle was named the head coach at Penn State and Paterno joined him
as an assistant coach, "for just a few years."